Therapeutic machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1958 INVENTOR mw w fi'ZL arson ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 F- L. CARSON 2,923,289

THERAPEUTIC MACHINE Filed June 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1'65 INVENTOR m BY 2 United States Patent f THERAPEUTIC MACHINE Frank L. Carson, Hollywood, Calif.

Application June 4, 1958, Serial No. 739,856

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-25) This invention relates to a therapeutic machine of simple construction for exercising and massaging various parts of the body to stimulate circulation and to restore or improve the muscular condition of the parts being treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a therapeutic machine capable of effectively functioning as a weight reducer and for slenderizing the parts of the body being treated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the therapeutic machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of a portion of the machine, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a part of the machine, taken substantially along a plane'as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a part of the machine;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating another part of the machine in detail;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit of the machine, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a part of the machine.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the therapeutic machine in its entirety is designated generally 10 and includes an elongated housing, designated generally 11, composed of a substantially flat bottom 12, side walls 13, end walls 14 and 15 and a top wall or cover 16. The side walls and end walls have projections extending inwardly from the corners thereof at the top of said walls, as seen at 17, and which have threaded bores to receive screw fastenings 18 for securing the top wall or cover 16 in its applied position, as illustrated in the drawings. Laterally spaced caster wheels 19 are secured to and depend from the bottom 12, adjacent the front wall 14, and short legs 20 are secured to and depend from the bottom 12 adjacent the other rear end wall 15, for supporting the casing or housing 11 in a slightly elevated position relative to a floor or other supporting surface 21.

The front wall 14, adjacent the comers thereof and on the housing to a desired location for use or to a position to be stored in an upright position.

Two hollow bearing posts 24 and 25 are secured to the upper side of the bottom 12 and are disposed in upright positions withinthe housing 11, in spaced apart -relation to one another and to the side and end walls of the housing, as seen in Figures 2 and 4. The bearing post 24 is located between the front wall 14 and the bearing post 25 and has a fixed mounting bracket 26 to which the base of an electric motor 27 is secured by fastenings 28, for supporting the motor on said bearing post 24, between said bearing post and the front wall 14. A motor drive shaft 29 projects upwardly therefrom and has a belt pulley 30 fixed thereto.

As seen in Figure 5, the upper end of the bearing post 24 is internally recessed, as seen at 31, to accommodate an antifriction ball bearing unit 32 in which is journaled a shaft 33. The upper end of the bearing post 25 has a similar internal recess 34 to accommodate a second antifriction bearing 35 in which is journaled a shaft 36.

A belt pulley 37, of substantially larger diameter than the belt pulley 30, is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 33 and is supported thereby above and adjacent the upper end of the bearing post 24. A belt pulley 38, which is of substantially larger diameter than the belt pulley 37, is fixed to and supported by the upper end of the shaft 36 and is disposed'immediately above the upper end of the bearing post 25. The upper end of the bearing post 25 terminates below the upper end of the bearing post 24 and the belt pulley 38 is disposed below the level of the belt pulley 37 and partially underlies said belt pulley 37, as seen in Figure 2. The belt pulley 38 is disposed coplanar with the belt pulley 30 and is connectedthereto by an endless belt 39. A hub 40 of the belt pulley 38 extends upwardly and is provided with an annular groove to form a small belt pulley 41 which is thus integrally connected to the belt pulley 38, and which belt pulley 41 is disposed in the same plane as the belt pulley 37 and is connected to said belt pulley 37 by an endless belt 42.

The upper side of the belt pulley 37 has a raised radially extending rib 43 the upper surface of which slopes downwardly toward the periphery of said belt pulley, as seen in Figure 5. The rib 43 is provided with an upwardly opening socket 44 which is likewise disposed at an incline upwardly and outwardly relative to the plane of the belt pulley 37, and in which is mounted an antifriction ball bearing unit 45 having an inwardly tapered bore 46 at the center thereof. The hub 40 of the belt pulley 38 has an enlarged upper end disposed above the small belt pulley 41 and forming a head 47 which is provided with an upwardly opening socket 48. The socket 48 is eccentrically disposed relative to the axis of the hub 40 and is inclined upwardly and outwardly, relative to the center of the hub; The socket 48 also contains an antifriction ball bearing unit 49 having a tapered bore 50, which tapers downwardly and inwardly'thereof. The up permost portion of the hub of the pulley 37 and the rib 43 extends slightly into an opening 51 in the top wall 16, and the upper end of the head 47 extends slightly into a smaller opening 52 of said top wall 16, as seen in Figure 2. However, said portions 37, 43 and 47 terminate below the level of the upper surface of the top wall 16.

The intermediate portion of a crossarm 53 is rigidly secured to the upper end of a rod 54. The rod 54 is provided with an enlargement 55 at its lower end which tapers outwardly or downwardly and which is of a proper size and shape to fit snugly in the bore 46. Plates 56 are secured to the ends of the crossarm 53 in laterally spaced relation to the rod 54 and are preferably dis: posed coplanar. Flexible shoe or sandal-like members 57 are immovably secured to forward sides of the plates 56 and have strap and buckle means 58' for securing said members 57 on the two feet of a person using the therapeutic machine.

A disc shaped pad 59 has a tapered stud 60 secured wa d proie t nat it the cent a Pa o of vits un er sid'e;as seen in Figure 6,anfdw ichis] of a pfg q a Shar to fit s u y in the .0. he ifi e i .t is in, &.:.. n i t. 1; -V. The therapeutic machine 1!! also includes two body supporting m'ember'sfil aizd 6,2,je ae1rpr which includes an"' elongated top portion of platform 63f 'Lat'cr r spacedsupporting legs 64 are'fixed toand dependfrorh thecornerslofone nd'of' eachplatforrri 63, 'and studs re 'fi Xed in and depend f om thecorners of the other end of the platform; Theb ody supporting member 61 (litters from the body supporting member 62in that it additionally has apertured brackets"66fiired'tb a'ri d'exte'n'dingbeyotid the first mentioned end 'thereof and which project from the undersides'ofsaid first mentioned cor 15, is provided witht ransyersejly spaced openings" 67 to'receive the studs 65 of the supportingmerrlb'er"61, so that "oneend of the supportingmember is supported by the housing 1 1' while the opposite end thereof is supported by the legs 64; The studs 65 of thfi suppo'rting member 62 engage in the apertures of the projections 66 for supporting one end of said'member 62 while the other outer end thereof is supported byits legs 64; The body supporting members 6l'and 62 are thus positioned inend-to-end relation extending from the rear endof the housing 11, as seen in Figure 1.' The'body supporting member 62 may be alternately positioned, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1, with the inner portion thereof overlying the forward part of the housingll andwith the studs 65 of the body supporting member62 engaging transversely spaced openings 67' of the top wallf16, 'so that the member 62 projects from the forward end 14 of the housing 11. 3

An electric cord 68 extends from the motor 27 through an opening 69 in the rear wall 15, as seen in Figure 2, and is adapted to be connected to any conventio aldomestic electrical outlet. Ari electric "switch 70 is' interposed in the electric cord 68 beyond the reair'end 15 of the housing in any postio-n so that it can be operated by the user while lying upon the body supporting rnernbers 61 and 62. The switch 70 is preferably of the 'rheostat type, as illustrated in Figure 7 for ary ng the sp'eed'of operatiouof the motor 27.

Assuming that the body supporting members 61 and 62 are positioned in end-to-erid relation extending from the rear end of the housing 11, as illustrated in 'full lines in Figure l, and'that the user of the machine '10 is lying thereon and with his or her feet secured in the sandal members 57, the switch 70 is actuated for closing a circuit to the motor 27-. The drive pulley 30 of the motor drives the large pulley 38 at a considerably reduced speed relative to the speed of rotationof said pulley 3i and the pulley 41 in turn drives the pulley 37' at a substantially'reduced speed relative to the 1-1pm. of the pulleys 38 and 41, so that the beltand pulley drives form a reduction drive from the pulley 30 to the pulley 37. Thus pulley 37 and its bearing 45 is revolved ,ata very slow speed relative to the rpm. ofthe drive pulley 30. As seen in Figure 2, the "plates 56 and sandal members57 are disposed at approximately the same level and are inclined downwardly and forwardly when the rod 54 is in its rearmost position of Figure 2. As the shaft 33 and pulley 37 make a quarter turn clockwise," as seen in Figure 3, for example; the'rocl 54 will assume a position extending laterally upward at an in- 'clin'eaway trornthe axis of the Shaft and h s arm 53 Will be inclined downwardly and outwardly, 9 that the sandal members willbedisposed at different levels. Said sandal members 57 and theplates 56' will Fil b disposed substantially in vertical planes. An

turning of pulley 37 will position the bearrs; The top wall 16 adjacent the reariend wall 4 ing 45 opposite to its position of Figure 2, in which position the rod 54 will be inclined upwardly and to the left of Figure 2, the crossarm will have been returned to the horizontal position and the plates 56 and sandal members 57 will be inclined in the opposite direction or upwardly and to the left, corresponding to the inclination of the rod 54. A further 90 turning of the pulley 37 will position the bearing 45 to the right of its position of Figure 4 so that the rod 54 will then be inclined upwardly and to the right, the crossarm 53 will be inclined downwardly and to theright and theplates 56 and sandal members 57 will again be in substantially upright positions. A further 90 turning of the pulley 37 in the same direction'will return the parts to their positions of Figure 2. It will be readily apparent that this movement of the sandal members 57 in the circular path combined with a rocking movement thereof will exercise and massage the legs and ankles. .1t will be apparent that as th rod 5%?1' cr ss arm 53 n r ar P h a h inner raceof the b, ring45 'will turn iii the outer race tnereor so that th 'wilbno t rqtate aboutitsaxis and there will be no rotation of the crossarm 53fplates 5 6 or sandal members 57, which sandal members and plates 56'will always fetain positions' tothe right of the 'IOSS 53;3 Wn BF W 2- 'Thepad 59 moves in a circular path having a small radius, as clearly indicated in Figure 6, and said padis maintained canted at all'times' and is capable of rotating about the axis of the stem 61) or may be held against rotation about said axis; The pad 59 may be utilized simultaneously with the'parts 57 16 engage and massage parso ffthe' legs as the legs are extended by movement of thesa'ndal members iri a'circiilar path for effecting spot reducing by"vibratory slapping engagement of the upper su ace of the pad withthe legs. In addition, while thlegs are'out of contactwiththe pad, said pad will commence to rotate about the axis of itss'tem 60 so the when the flexing legs. again contact the pad an additional twisting pressure will be exerted against the flesh. If desired, the pad 59 may be removed while the sandal members 57 are being utilized, and the rod 54 and the parts supported therebyfmay be removed while the pad 59 is in use. When therod 54 and associated partsare removedhndthe' pad 59 alone is employed, the body supporting member 62r'nay be mounted in its dotted line "position of Figure2 'so that the pad may be employed for spot reducing of difierent'parts. of the torso or the body of thepatient and while the patient is lying on both body supportingdnembers 61 and 62 with a part of the torso bridging the gap between said body supporting members and which bridging portion is disposed to be engaged by the pad 59.

Variousmodificatiofis and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter dein d by he pended l im Ifclainras my invention? 1. Atherapeutic machine comprising an elongated housing havirf'gatop' wall provided with longitudinally spiw doperlings,twoupright journals secured within said housing'beneath said openings; shafts rotatably supported in said journals and projecting from the upper ends there of, a power source fixedly supported within said housing, a belt and pulley driveconnecting both of said shafts to thepower source for revolving the shafts simultaneously at different speeds, bearing supports fixed to the upper ends of said shafts, and'disposed for rotation within the housing, a bearing mounted in each bearing support and eccentrically disposed relative to'the axis of the shait thereof, said bearings each including an upwardly openns s e e th a es of said oc et bein ed p rdy and. o twar l elative to he a es o h a a e having a lower endvdetachablyznounted in one of said it lien ing dly through oneof said rod and disposed above the housing, foot attaching members rigidly connected to the ends of said crossarm on opposite sides of and spaced from said rod, a pad disposed above the other opening of the housing and having a depending stud extending downwardly through said last mentioned opening and detachably mounted in the other bearing socket for supporting the pad at an incline relative to the top wall of the housing, said foot attaching members and the pad being simultaneously rotated with the bearing supports around the shafts individual thereto and being rotatable with the bearing sockets thereof relative to the bearing supports, when the shafts are driven by the power source.

2. A therapeutic machine as in claim 1, body supporting members, and means interconnecting said body supporting members to one another and to an end of the 5 2,860,628

, outer one of said body supporting members on an opposite end of said housing and with said pad disposed between adjacent ends of said body supporting members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pettit May 26, 1942 2,591,212 Stauffer Apr. 1, 1952 2,756,743 Clark July 31, 1956 2,819,713 Buck Ian. 14, 1958 Staufier Nov. 18, 1958 

